Saturday, June 20, 2015

Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #21 (w/ Commentary Notes)

The First Guardian
(The Merged Realms of Peter Pan and Up)

            Seven pairs of feet kicked up several bits of sand for a few miles as they trekked across the shores of Neverland and South America. A boot had to be removed at one point in the trek to dump out sand grains, while both pair of shoes had to be removed to allow bare feet to travel the remainder of the way. It was a pointless walk to Adrienne, who knew the easier route would be to simply teleport to the location of the Guardians in the realm. Yen Sid’s only objection to that idea was time – there was not much time, or even energy, to randomly teleport over parts of a realm that had already merged enough with another to become nearly undecipherable between the two. Teleporting would merely put them back to square one in their search; heading in one direction made more sense. But it did not make much sense to Adrienne, yet she trusted her old master’s judgment.

            Sand in her boots and her stomach growling, Adrienne could not remember when she felt so irritated. She was so hungry she could eat Jar Jar Binks raw, which sounded more disgusting than she cared to admit. The only thing that managed to take her mind off of food was the sight of Captain Hook’s ship anchored in the distance. Seeing it, she wondered if the brokenhearted captain had sent a search party out for Genevieve, as well as herself and Russell. It was those thoughts that began to make Adrienne a bit paranoid, once again questioning the time-consuming walk.

(Narrative Note: In The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2, it was revealed that a reincarnation's body can provide nutrients to itself when he or she is in starvation. This occurred in WOD2 with Gigi - Joanie's first reincarnation - was held captive by S.H.I.E.L.D.)

            “We should make our trip here quick, Yen Sid.” She suggested.

            Yen Sid turned to her for a brief moment and then looked to the darkening skies. “I intend to make things quick, Adrienne. There is only a short amount of time left for the Disneyverse.”

            “Argh!”

            Grunts from Victoria soon drew everyone’s attention to her. She had lagged behind, both of her slippers in one hand and the other pulling her long skirt up as it brushed against the sand, leaving a trail behind her.

            “What’s wrong with you?” Theresa asked her.

            “Look at what I’m wearing!” Victoria gestured to her dress with the hand still clasping her shoes. “This dress wasn’t meant for expedition! It’s hindered me ever since that jungle we were in! My skirt got caught up in branches at least five times in a row! I need to wear something else! Something like what you’re all wearing! Something—”

            “Something that’ll stop you from whining?” Adrienne grumbled, earning her a wicked glare from Victoria.

            “Why don’t you just change your clothes?” Shelly asked.

            Victoria snickered from her suggestion. “Right. I think I missed the nearest wardrobe back there.”

            “She’s being serious.” Theresa said. “As a Guardian, you can make your own clothes.”

            Curiosity built up in Victoria, seeing just how genuine the women were in their mad suggestion. Rubbing the fingers from her free hand through her short black hair, she asked, “What clothes should I make for myself?”

            Marla smiled. “Anything that agrees with you, hon.”

            Victoria’s sparkling blue eyes looked upward in thought. “Hmm…I’d like to wear something…something that’ll let me…be free!” As she carefully pondered on suitable attire, a sudden bright golden glow overtook her dress. One minute, it was a dress; the next minute, she had on a black, tight-fitting t-shirt, a pearl necklace, and black flat front shorts that were kept up by a black leather belt. She smiled over her new clothes, which turned out to be exactly as she imagined. “I can see my feet…and my legs!” Her eyes grew wide at her slender yet exposed limbs, growing somewhat concerned. “I-Is this normal wear for a woman?”

            The other Guardians – Adrienne especially – were astonished by Victoria’s ability to conjure up such a perfect outfit to fit her form in. Between it and the rest of her look, she certainly resembled Audrey Hepburn more than before. “It’s perfect!” Tiffany was the only one who managed to say.

(Biographical Note: Victoria's contemporary look for Tales of the Disneyverse and later Marvel Mayhem is based from an Audrey Hepburn photo shoot Victoria Summer was the model for. Summer has noted Hepburn as one of her inspirations as a model and actress.)

            The short-haired Englishwoman giggled happily. “Wow! I wonder what else I can do for myself…for others!”

            “I am glad that you have asked.” Yen Sid said, approaching her. “I have waited for this moment to come, and now that it has, I believe you, Victoria, can assist us with your abilities in finding the Guardians in this realm.”

            Adrienne’s ears burned from this. “What? Are you serious, Yen Sid?” The sorcerer shot her that iconic stare of his that even intimidated her. “O.K. Trick question. But this girl has barely learned how to travel between worlds! Training her now would be a waste of our time! Her wardrobe change was a mere fluke! It’ll take her years to master the level of power the rest of us have!”

            “I am afraid that I must disagree, Adrienne.” Yen Sid said. “Victoria is the most powerful of you all. She is in fact Sean Thomas’s very first reincarnation.”

(Authorial Note: This plot twist was imagined by Livingston to change up the reincarnation line of Sean Thomas, after leading readers to believe Sheryl was his first form in The Marvelous World. He enjoyed the idea of a "surprise reincarnation," feeling it was similar to what Doctor Who had done with the War Doctor. He had chosen Victoria to represent this form when he began to love her development in Tales of the Disneyverse.)

            Adrienne’s body twitched in shock from this sudden revelation. Marla, Theresa, Shelly, and Tiffany could hardly believe it as well. “That’s…impossible!” Theresa verbally expressed her disbelief.

(Spoiler Note: In a most recent chapter of World of Disney 3, Vanessa reveals herself as the succeeding reincarnation of Genevieve. The general reaction to this news mimics that of Victoria in this scene.)

            “We all know Sheryl was the first Guardian.” Tiffany said, before adding with skepticism, “Wasn’t she?”

            “You are correct.” Yen Sid acknowledged Tiffany’s observation. “While Victoria was Sean’s first reincarnation, she was not the first Guardian. The title of ‘Guardian’ is inherited by those who swear to protect the Disneyverse. It might seem like a birthright at first, but it cannot be so unless the inheritor accepts it. Victoria was never Guardian because she was lost to the Disneyverse upon her reincarnation. She had nothing to remind her of who she used to be – except for memories in the form of dreams – which is how she came to accept her new identity. When I originally found her, I had to trigger her reincarnation process to get her on track with her destiny; but it was a mistake that I have lived in regret with. I realize that I wrongfully treated her like an abomination. She should have been properly trained in the ways of magic to become the Guardian she was meant to be. But now, with time having been rewritten before our very eyes, I now have that chance.”

(Pop Culture: The reasoning for Victoria's miscount from her succeeding reincarnations strongly reflects that behind the War Doctor in Doctor Who. Although he did not initially carry the moniker of "Doctor" in his incarnation, he still was a regeneration of him.)

            Yen Sid’s story on her history greatly overwhelmed Victoria. Never in her life had she felt so special. It brought tears to her eyes, which she was quick to wipe away once he finished, and pride in her heart. “So…uh…w-what do I do now?”

            “Close your eyes and focus on your surroundings.” Yen Sid instructed – her first lesson in becoming a Guardian now in process. “Shut out any noise that might distract you from the one sound you should focus on: your heartbeat. Your heart contains the soul of Sean Thomas himself; therefore, it should help you to find his other reincarnations. Understood?”

            Victoria nodded and followed his instructions exactly. She sealed her eyes shut and focused on just her heartbeat, letting the sound of the wind and the rushing waves drown out and become nothing but silent. In the total darkness that she saw beneath her eyelids, she noticed flashes of images – people she had never met but felt as if she did. There were two women in a Greek setting – one tall, blonde, and in her early-forties, wearing the tightest pair of pants Victoria had ever seen, and a young brunette who looked almost as grouchy as Adrienne; there was another blonde – a mermaid with a gold seashell bra and a glittering light blue tail, swimming along with a little clownfish; two more blondes – one younger, one older – in Arabian cloaks; a man locked away in a dungeon and barbarically shouting to the heavens; and, finally, four women separated in pairs and in two areas within the worlds Victoria and her new companions were in.

            Although she did not know of the names of these other “Guardians,” she was good enough at providing a description of them to Yen Sid and the ones there on the beach. When she reached the part with the two blondes in Arabian cloaks, there was cynicism in the possible chance that they were in the Aladdin realm, which – as Disneyverse legend had it – was destroyed eons ago. “It could just mean the world has returned because of the rift – doubt there’d be any other ‘special’ reason,” Theresa logically presumed.

            “Even so, we shall search the other realms for those Guardians after we have reclaimed the ones here.” Yen Sid directed.

            “Wait.” Victoria quickly said – her eyes still closed. “I hear singing.”

            Marla glanced around in confusion. “I don’t hear anything.”

            “She’s still honed in on her senses.” Theresa indicated. “Where’s the singing coming from, Victoria?”

            The young Englishwoman paused for a short time. Her eyes then snapped open and she pointed towards a collection of trees near the shore. “There!” She led them all into the foliage.

            With both the Neverland and South America suns setting simultaneously, there was not much light to guide them through the jungles. Not that they would need much light with Victoria leading the way. It was as if she knew every inch of the place, despite the merger and the fact that she had never been to either world. She was certainly a quick learner after just mere minutes of tutelage by Yen Sid.

            Unfortunately, as in tone with her senses as Victoria was, there were three things that she failed to notice in the rush across the jungle – and they practically collided into her, Adrienne, Marla, Shelly, Theresa, and Tiffany. Yen Sid, who kept at his own pace behind the women, walked right into the collection of bodies sprawled over the ground – one of which was a short, obese golden retriever. “Hi,” he said directly to Yen Sid, via his collar/translator.

            “Hello.” Yen Sid casually returned; he was not a bit fazed by the dog’s unique function. He noticed before the collision that the canine was accompanied by two young women, both tall in stature with reddish-brown hair. After collecting themselves from the chaos, they both started to take notice in his presence, their faces lit with joy like children on Christmas morning.

            “Yen Sid!” They cheered in unison. They then noticed more familiar faces in Marla, Theresa, and Shelly – past incarnations that they remember all too well. “So many old faces here!”

            “Watch who you callin’ ‘old,’ girlie!” Marla defensively remarked.

            Tiffany, after shaking off the cobwebs, finally saw who it was that she and the other Guardians bumped into. “Allison? Tasha?”

            The two young women directed their attention to Tiffany, as well as Adrienne and Victoria. “Yeah,” said Tasha. “Who are you?”

            “They are your future incarnations.” Yen Sid revealed to them. “They have been gathered with your past ones for Genevieve’s cause.”

(Authorial Note: By this point in writing Tales of the Disneyverse, Livingston felt similarities to Junior Ghostbusters, another miniseries he wrote for The Disney Ghostbusters in 2009. Both deal with multiple characters across "dimensions" of Disney, separating them through various adventures but then ultimately bringing them together at the end.)

            “Genevieve.” Allison whispered, having been reminded of the name. “Yeah, we haven’t found her, but we did find Ellison with Mickey, Panda, and—”

            “Panda!” Adrienne cried out the name with Tiffany, both sounding very excited and hopeful. “He’s here?”

            “Is he alright?” Tiffany asked.

            The excitement in their voices surprised Allison, Tasha, and even the other Guardians – there was something about the resident of Fantasia and a fond companion that brought out much concern from the two future Guardians. “Yeah, he’s fine,” confirmed Tasha. “He and Mickey were with Ellison and two other people we barely know – a tall, fit blonde and a short redhead who looks like she means business.”

            “Katie and Anne-Marie.” Tiffany identified. “The second being another one of us.”

            “Man, why do there have to be versions of us that look like they lack personality?” An aggravated Allison questioned, before turning to Adrienne and adding, “Like this one?”

            Adrienne’s fiery blue eyes darted towards Allison, shooting a glare at her so fierce that Allison took a step back. Her hand moved to one of her saber hilts, and when the other Guardians noticed, they stepped in between the two women to avoid a gruesome confrontation. However, before a scuffle could even happen, they stopped and heard singing from nearby. “There it is again,” Victoria said. “That’s what I’m hearing.”

            “Yeah, but now I can hear it, too.” Theresa concurred, as did the others.

            Following the angelic voice, the group came upon one clearing reserved for Hangman’s Tree, the hideout of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. There, they discovered Ellison singing “Your Mother and Mine” divinely to the Lost Boys, all of whom were asleep around the tree. She cradled Tootles in her arms like a baby as she finished out the melody. Her singing was so soothing that it put even Mickey, Panda, Katie, and Carl to sleep. Anne-Marie was just about to doze off herself until she caught Yen Sid arriving at the tree; at first she believed it was her drifting into unconsciousness, but she quickly realized he was really there.

(Biographical Note: In real life, Jennifer Ellison possesses quite the angelic voice, which perfectly echoes that of the Disney Princesses she performs as. Examples of this can be found on her YouTube channel.)

            “Yen Sid!” Her exclamation of his name woke Katie, Mickey, Panda, and Carl.

            “Huh? What?” Carl muttered as his old, weary eyes slowly opened, seeing the new group of strangers standing before him. “Oh, great. Even more weirdoes. And here I’d hoped that it was all a nightmare.”

            Dug joyfully rushed right up to Carl. “Hello again, Master. I have found help. A lot of help.”

            “Thanks.” The disgruntled Fredricksen said.

            As Panda stood back up after his time of slumber, he was surprised with a hug from Tiffany. “Oh, Panda! It’s so good to see you again, buddy!”

            “It’s…good to see…you?” He awkwardly reacted to the greeting of the fortysomething brunette he had no recollection of ever meeting. Of course, in the midst of the hug, he figured she had to be a reincarnation no less – one from a future he pondered his place in, going from her tearful joy in seeing him again.

            Meanwhile, Yen Sid approached Carl, his imposing form towering over the old man (who might as well have been a young man compared with the centuries-old sorcerer). “Mister Fredricksen, my name is Yen Sid. Your young friend, Russell, has been kept safe in another realm where you and Dug will be taken for your own safety.”

            Carl was lost on Yen Sid’s impressive height, his daunting appearance, and the mystic mumbo-jumbo that he just told him. All the confused old man could say was, “Yeah…sure. Whatever you say, pal.”

(Disney Note: In Up, Carl Fredricksen is voiced by Ed Asner, who is no stranger to voicing mystical characters in Disney television programs. He is known to many Disney fans as the voice of gargoyle Hudson in the popular 1994 cartoon Gargoyles.)

            “Oh, my gosh!” Mickey suddenly cried out. “What’s happening?”

            Following his apprentice’s outburst, Yen Sid looked to see the bodies of the reincarnations there with them glowing on and off like blinking lights as they stood close by each other.

            “What’s happening?” Theresa asked as she looked upon her glowing hands.

            “This is what Genevieve had planned.” Yen Sid answered. “The more all of you gather, the closer you reach to merging.”

            “Merging?” Adrienne remarked, not shy on expressing how sickened she was from the idea. “My body fused with theirs?” She gestured particularly to Marla and Ellison. “Revolting.”

            Marla glared at her. “Yeah, well, like it or not, hon, it’s happenin’.”

            “I think it’s exciting!” Ellison cheered. “We all started out in one body before any of us even came along! It’ll be like one big, happy reunion!” Her comment on the ordeal only made Adrienne come even closer to regurgitating.

(Authorial Note: Livingston drew inspiration from Dragon Ball Z's fusion process in developing the idea of the reincarnations merging together to create one "ultimate form.")

            Katie and Mickey, watching Anne-Marie’s body glow in sync with the other reincarnations, were less than surprised by it. “I knew,” said Katie, who smirked at the sight. “I knew you were a Guardian from the moment I saw your eyes turn white.”

            “And from the way you acted around Ellison.” Mickey added.

            “But what I can’t figure out is why you kept it so secret?” Katie asked.

            Anne-Marie let out a despaired sigh, looking down at her glowing body. “I’d come to a point in my life as Guardian where I no longer felt I belonged anywhere. I was totally alone. And then, when I became ‘Anne-Marie,’ I felt that I actually had a brand new start, since no one would know I was Guardian.

            “Gosh.” Mickey uttered. “Guardian or not, you’ll always belong in Fantasia with us, Mistress.”

            Anne-Marie was not entirely reassured – she was actually even more downhearted by it, something that Katie took notice in. There was something else Anne-Marie was not telling them.

(UP NEXT: The Start of Another Story!)

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